The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-04-30
A SPANISH exploe,.


"-r u~,. ~ lead d. M
The first European to nal.
sivc explorations in Texas 's Ne. ~
Nurez. who has left a reco eS
wandering. which appea s,ypI H. e
iii 1887 ard which has heea p.sa y. y
vantage by II. H. Bancroft IN 1I IT, 70;
tory OF the North Mexican .st,s,,
Texas" He was one Of the ', ,'es','
OF a party OF spaniards numb,ria. {
men, besides the officers, who !.
weeks sailed in a frail craft, tam ~
tossed and suffering terribly FROM m, r.
hunger exposure and attack. ~
war!ike Indians. until early in Nm y
ber' 1927, they finally stranded =,
Island off the coast Of Texas, p !
ated and weak. the naked .,rri a'
were cast up by the waves to An \
the hands Of the savagcs.
A few Of the strongest Survivor, :!
sent to the mainland by their tsn'
with orders to seek help from tbs s "
est Spaniards. The remaipas, ~
soon reduced from eighty to sft.''
famine and pestilence, and tbs..
were enslaved by the Indians and !.
became scattered from one ,no%
Alva Nurez remained on the is,'
captive for more than a year, and
forced by his harsh masters to die \
as food from under the water. AL
time, however, he was %allowss
greater liberty, and bettered his ,o,
ton by trading with the natiyes a, !
mainland, travelling. naked as he !,
over Texas for many leagues Of M
tory, and exchanging shells and
Gus articles used on the coast for \
and other inland products. TIM,
six years, he involuntary made
home at Malhado Island, for TIM,
named the place of his misfortune,
After these years Of captivi,y
finally succeeded in escaping from
captors with Ovicdo, the only vi
survivor remaining on the island.
went down the coast, passing
large rivers, and finally entered Al
which he supposed was the Enid
Santo, discovered in 1919. H. I
fell in with three other persons bels
ing to the original party, and
four are the only ones who were knd
to have survived of the three aunl
that had sailed from Florida.
Nurez and his party, having lead
through terrible hardship to accon
date themselves to life in the wild
ness. made the first extensive eypl
tons in Texas and in the aljoininsul
try that is known to have boen I'd
by Europeans. His account Of
wanderings was republished a NUM-
sf .;.S.: ir SnaI snd"r . varis1
titles, and also translated into llan
French and English. Another nars
exists in the report given by the
to the audiencia in Mexico, in Il
Although both statements bcart The
dent Imprint of the fulles. good d
they were written from memory :
contain many inaccuracies. Theyaa
in essentials, however, in regarlnI
adventures Of the party, but there
wide difference in dates, directions
distances. These reports are fra-n4
airy, and even contradictory, but
throw a priceless light on the condi
of Texas then.
As the Spaniards do not spea
crossing the Mississippi river,
they certainly would had
noticed it, Malhado Island mus, III
fore. have been to the west
that stream. Their location in Ile
of Espiritu Santo is fixed BY ced
great sand hills, which O'icdo d
tons as prominent landmarks 100
the present day the United Stateict
Survey speaks of the sand monnii
rising from an almost Level priif1
gion at the bay which now bear;
name Of Espiritu Santo. This iFci
internal evidence of those early ny
tives that either this bay OF
Antonio has the best claim o'n
the initial point from which cya
tons began into Texan territory
Journey OF these pioneer explores
gan in the summer of 1853
Nurez and Oviedo took advaN'as
their masters annual visit 'cn1
terror to procure a supply @F'
pears for food, TO make their e'c'p]
Fort Worth Gazette.
-l A. ,SNafv.